Chef Victor’s late-night Instagram post of preserved blueberries and cinnamon in a circulator… That’s what piqued our interest a few days ago. So we reached out to find out what he was up to.
Victor Parra Gonzalez and his partner, Vincenza (Zina) Lapi, are the team behind Casa Azul—an exciting and much-anticipated new Downtown restaurant that offers a few different experiences.
Downstairs is a taqueria serving Mexican street fare grounded in tradition, pushed forward with new ingredients and technique. The soon-to-open upstairs will offer a slightly more formal family-style experience with a fully realized bar program, large and share plates, and (a lot) more.
On a recent trip to Toronto, Victor and Zina were tossing around signature dessert ideas for the second floor. Conceptually, they wanted something great to share as well as to enjoy by yourself—something that conjured memories of childhood and family. Technically, they kept coming back to the idea of a roasted plantain. And that’s how the Casa Azul Banana Split was born.
The spine of the dessert is a plantain roasted over their charcoal grill. The ice cream is house-made and comes in three flavors: vanilla atole, tres Leches, and spicy chocolate each with its own topping: preserved blueberries and cinnamon, pineapple jam, a mezcal-cured fresh cherry and, of course, whipped cream.
The Casa Azul Banana Split serves as yet another reason we’re so eager for the second floor to open…but it may not be the only dessert on the menu. Victor and Zina are currently running a churro special—a test to see if it too wins a spot on the upstairs menu. So while we wait, we can vote with forks at the very special taqueria downstairs…and follow Chef Victor on Instagram for updates.
Casa Azul | 128 Genesee Street | Buffalo, NY 14203 | (716) 331-3869
